Fouad Abiad's Project Inferno Day 53:Legs

I’ve been delaying my legs workout because I had an intense therapy session a couple days ago. My adductors hadn’t been stripped in a really long time. My therapist went deep into these muscles, using the Graston tool and some cupping. These are specialized massage and recovery techniques that I highly recommend. My adductors were really tender after this, and I’m going to tread lightly during this legs workout.

My first move for legs is seated legs curls with occlusion training. There’s a lot of good science supporting the benefits of occlusion training. Note that I band my legs as high as I can. At the end of Project Inferno, one of your takeaways should be that occlusion band training is an important tool in your training arsenal. This really pumps blood into your legs below the bands, which is especially important for your knees, and then you get a flush of recovery blood when you release the bands. Go with about 5 sets for 20-25 reps per set. And keep your rests to no longer than 30 seconds during occlusion training.

Next up is squats with a safety bar. The main reason I use the safety bar is because it puts more emphasis on your quads. This allows you to hold your hands forward and use a narrower stance, which puts more stimulus on the quads rather than the whole leg. I have a nagging groin injury, and this version allows me to work around that. There’s nothing wrong with traditional squats. Use those if you prefer. Remember that my training is instinctive and yours should be, too.

The third move for this last legs workout on Project Inferno is legs presses with occlusion training. We’re going to go with up to 20 reps per set for 6 sets. Legs presses allow me to go heavy without going crazy. I’m nursing some nagging injuries but my narrow foot placement in the middle of the platform felt like my safe choice today. Still, I was able to add plenty of weight. An injury doesn’t mean you can train; it means you need to find a way to train around it.

Then I switch to what I call Tom Platz hack squats, or Platz hacks for my last exercise in Week 8. The variation is that your feet are very close together and very low on the pad, which is counterintuitive to everything you’ve been taught. That’s because you’ve probably been told that you shouldn’t get up on your toes because that places a lot of stress on your knees. This is an advanced movement, and if you’re going to try it make sure you keep your weights light. Even though I’m an experienced lifter, I only have a plate on each side. That’s because of the mechanics of the movement—you want to reduce impact on your knees while emphasizing work in your quads. As I do the movement, my feet are going to be almost behind me. As I lower my heels come up and the pressure shifts to my toes. That’s going to put extreme emphasis on my quads. Use a light weight and focus on the muscle.

I’ll see you guys tomorrow for some back training on our last weight-training day on Project Inferno. Stay on your diets and stay focused. And always remember to sacrifice.

Perform 40 minutes immediately after weight-training or add this session later in the evening

TAKEAWAY:

Every bodybuilder has to find what represents them. I didn’t find that for myself until I developed a reputation for hard work. I may not be the best bodybuilder. I may not win an Arnold; I may never be Mr. Olympia, but I can hold my head high knowing I’ve built a reputation for my work ethic. No one can take that away from me.

I suggest to each of you that you try this for one week: Be the guy who works hardest in the room. Make everyone else in the gym think: OMG, that guy is killing it when no one else is watching. Find something that no one can take away from you. Trust me, you want to be that guy. Try it for just one week. And then decide if you can make that commitment as your lifestyle.